Ex-girlfriend speaks of terror at hands of Happy Mondays star Bez

The ex-girlfriend of Happy Mondays star Bez branded him a ‘nutcase’ as he was convicted of attacking her in front of their child. Monica Ward told how the Madchester icon and former Celebrity Big Brother winner grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her in front of their two-year-old son after a bust up over money.

The ex-girlfriend of Happy Mondays star Bez branded him a ‘nutcase’ as he was convicted of attacking her in front of their child.

Monica Ward told how the Madchester icon and former Celebrity Big Brother winner grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her in front of their two-year-old son after a bust up over money.

She said: "He had his hand round my neck and he was looking insane, squeezing.

"The child was stood there watching all this and crying."

Ms Ward said when she told Bez – real name Mark Berry – she had called police he told her he would kill her before they arrived. Then, she said, he lunged at her and said ‘Ha-ha!’ in her facebefore leaving their flat on Range Road, Whalley Range, Manchester. Ms Ward said: "I felt like an idiot. Like he was mocking me. I thought our child should not be witnessing this and that it was time to move on and tell the authorities.

"I was shook up and paranoid that he would come back."

She said Bez, 46, then plagued her with calls and returned an hour and a half later. She said she put the chain on the door but he smashed his way through before leaving on a push bike with £20.

"I just thought why have I got involved with this nutcase?" she added. Bez denied assault and using violence to enter a property when he appeared at Manchester magistrates court. When he was found guilty he reacted angrily to the verdict saying: ‘This is a kangaroo court’. He promised to appeal before leaving through a fire door.

Giving evidence Ms Ward – his partner of six years – described her relationship with the former dancer as ‘volatile’.

She said a row had erupted over money on the morning of May 24, after they had performed together in a band.

Bez accused her of spending most of the £300 they had received, while she claimed he had just misplaced it. Defending himself Bez, who says he has been staying with a friend in Urmston since the incident, denied using any violence and said he had pushed his ex out of the way because he wanted to leave.

He said: "I’d had enough of her stealing my money, but she wouldn’t let me go so I had to get her out of the way." And he pleaded with the court: "You’ve had her version and you have had mine. My version is the truth. Do the right thing."

But finding Bez guilty of both charges, chairman of the bench Marie Cash described Ms Ward, who was left with a red mark on her neck, as a ‘credible witness’.

She said: "We are not saying this was a deliberate attack. We believe a technical assault took place."

Bez will be sentenced at a later date.

After the case Ms Ward told the M.E.N: "I’m pleased with today’s outcome, it was a volatile relationship and I’m just happy to be out the other side."

She said Bez’s version of events was ‘absolute nonsense’ and said of the attack: "I thought I was in danger. I didn’t think he was going to stop."

When asked if she had felt threatened she said: "Absolutely." She added: "He said he was going to kick the **** out of me.

"I had a red mark on my neck. I was shook up. Scared, paranoid. I was totally intimidated."